STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE SOP# 601.02
RODENT VETERINARY CARE PROGRAM
1.
PURPOSE
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This Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) describes the procedure for reporting and treating sick or injured animals.
2.
RESPONSIBILITY
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Veterinary care staff, animal care staff, principal investigator (PI) and their research staff.
3.
MATERIALS
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3.1. Illness / Injury Report
3.2. Veterinary Care cage card, back
3.3. Case number labels
3.4. Treatment Log
3.5. Green round stickers
3.6. Morbidity Record
4.
PROCEDURES
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4.1.
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Observation of animals:
4.1.1.
All animals will be observed daily (including weekends and holidays) by animal care or veterinary care staff
for illness, injury and general condition.
4.2. Submitting an Illness/Injury Report:
4.2.1.
4.2.2.
4.2.3.
Animal attendants or PI staff that find a sick or injured animal must complete the top (shaded) part of an
Illness/Injury Report.
A blank Veterinary Care card is placed on the cage of the affected animal(s).
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The completed report is submitted to the veterinary care staff.
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4.3. Opening a clinical case:
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4.3.1.
Veterinary care staff will assign a unique case number. A label with the case number is placed on the
Veterinary Care card and the number is recorded on the top right hand corner of the Illness/Injury report.
4.3.2.
Veterinary care staff will examine the animal and decide the best course of action for treatment in
consultation with the PI.
4.3.3.
For rodents, a carbon copy of the open case is placed in the binder in each housing room.
4.4. Treatments:
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4.4.1.
Any treatment prescribed is clearly written on the Illness/Injury report and on the back of the Veterinary Care
card or on a separate treatment record.
4.4.2.
Each day, as the treatments are performed, the person performing them records the date, time if applicable,
and their initials.
4.4.3.
Minor treatments on rodents can be performed by animal care staff:
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4.4.3.1.
4.4.3.2.
4.4.3.3.
Only trained animal care staff will treat animals.
The treatment and recheck date are recorded in a Treatment Log created for each housing room
(or facility).
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A green round sticker is placed on the Veterinary Care card to visually identify cages to be treated
by animal care staff.
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SOP 601.02 – Rodent Veterinary Care Program
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4.4.3.4.
Animal care staff will not perform any treatments on the recheck date so that the veterinary care
staff can evaluate the animal’s condition and modify treatments as needed. Modifications to
treatments must be clearly recorded on the Treatment Log and on the Veterinary Care card.
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4.4.3.5.
4.4.3.6.
When stopping a treatment or closing a case performed by animal care staff, the treatment is
crossed off the Treatment Log and the date and initials of the person closing the case are
recorded in the appropriate columns. The green sticker is removed from the Veterinary Care card.
Treatment Logs are generated on a weekly basis, generally on Fridays, printed and placed in the
corresponding room binders. Modifications during the week are recorded by hand.
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4.5. Contacting the PI or designate:
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4.5.1.
4.5.2.
4.5.3.
The contact information can be found on the cage card of the affected animal or in the master contact list.
Alternatively, emergency contact information can be found in the Animal Use Protocol.
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The date and initials of the person who contacted the PI or designate are recorded on the Illness/Injury
Report in the designated area.
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Any additional information thus obtained is written on the Illness/Injury Report.
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4.6. Follow-up:
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4.6.1.
4.6.2.
A recheck date is determined to follow-up on the condition of the animals. Most cases are re-evaluated on a
weekly basis but more critical cases can be seen more often and those cases which do not require close
monitoring can be rechecked every two to four weeks.
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Treatments can then be modified, stopped or the case closed.
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4.7. Morbidity Record:
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4.7.1.
New cases are recorded in the Morbidity Record. All information is to be filled in except for the “Outcome”
column.
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4.8. Once a case is closed:
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4.8.1.
4.8.2.
The “Outcome” column of the Morbidity Record is completed by writing a letter to designate the actual
outcome: E= euthanized, R= resolved, FD= found dead, S= animal shipped, followed by the date.
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The white, and yellow copies if available, of the Illness/Injury Report are filed in the appropriate location.
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Comparative Medicine & Animal Resources Centre
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SOP 601 .02 – Rodent Veterinary Care Program
Written by: Anna Jimenez
Revised on (yy-mm-dd): 10-02-18
Revision # 02
Effective date (yy-mm-dd): 10-02-18